Service Industries Revision — Chartered Institute of Housing End-Point Assessment
Complete Chartered Institute of Housing End-Point Assessment Service Industries specification revision resources. Tailored syllabus coverage with topic breakdowns, quizzes, and practice questions.
Specification Topics
- CIH Level 3 End Point Assessment for Housing and property management - Core Content
- CIH Level 4 End Point Assessment for Senior Housing and Property Management - Core Content
- Energy efficiency in the home
- Customer care in lettings
- Ending tenancies of residential property
- CIH Level 2 End Point Assessment for Housing and property management assistant - Core Content
- Letting and property management legislation
- Water conservation in the home
- Letting residential properties
- Tenancy management
- Professional practice for the private rented sector
- Food and transport choices for sustainable living
- Property standards for residential properties
- Sustainable living
- Tenancy management for residential property
- Reduce, reuse and recycle household waste
Top Exam Board Tips
- Familiarise yourself thoroughly with the CIH professional standards and the specific assessment criteria for each component of the EPA, such as the professional discussion and case study.
- When completing a case study, always reference the relevant legislation and code of practice to demonstrate underpinning knowledge and application.
- In professional discussions, structure responses using the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) method to provide clear, evidence-based examples of your competency.
- Always structure your responses to address the specific command verbs (e.g., ‘analyze’, ‘evaluate’, ‘recommend’) in the assessment criteria to meet marking expectations.
- Use real-life examples from your workplace to illustrate key points, as this demonstrates applied competence and strengthens your arguments.
- Ensure you reference up-to-date legislation and guidance, such as the latest version of the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS), as housing law is frequently updated.
- When presenting financial plans, show clear methodology, include assumptions, and explain how you would handle potential variances.
- For leadership tasks, integrate theories (e.g., situational leadership) with practical actions, and always consider the impact on tenants and the wider community.
- In assignment questions about benefits, structure your response around the triple bottom line: economic (saving money), environmental (cutting carbon) and social (health and wellbeing).
- When describing renewable technologies, always mention any limitations or prerequisites (e.g., need for south-facing roof, adequate insulation) to demonstrate depth of understanding.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Misunderstanding the legal distinction between an assured shorthold tenancy and a secure tenancy, leading to incorrect notice periods and eviction procedures.
- Failing to recognize the urgency of certain repair requests, such as those affecting health and safety, and not following statutory repair timelines.
- Overlooking the need to maintain detailed, objective records of all interactions with tenants, which is critical for legal and audit purposes.
- Confusing the legal responsibilities of landlords and tenants under different tenancy types, such as assured shorthold versus secure tenancies.
- Failing to link theoretical knowledge to practical case studies, leading to generic answers that lack specific context or actionable recommendations.
- Neglecting to reference current legislation or industry codes of practice, which is essential for demonstrating compliance and up-to-date knowledge.
- Overlooking the importance of soft skills in leadership scenarios, focusing only on technical tasks without considering team dynamics or communication.
- Providing superficial budget analysis without showing how financial decisions impact service delivery or tenant outcomes.
Key Terminology & Definitions
- Core knowledge
- Practical application
- Understand the benefits of increasing energy efficiency in the home., Understand how to reduce energy consumption in the home., Know the technological options available for generating renewable energy in the home.
- 1. Understand the importance of codes of practice.2. Understand the principles of good customer care.3. Understand how to provide support to tenants.4. Understand best practice for property maintenance and safety.
- 1. Understand how a tenant can end the tenancy. 2. Understand how a landlord can end the tenancy.3. Understand the legal process for a landlord to obtain possession.
- 1. Understand the local rental market.2. Understand the different types of tenancies available.3. Understand the legislation relating to private tenancies.4. Understand other legal requirements pertaining to the condition of properties that are let.
- Understand the importance of water conservation in the home., Understand the measures and technologies to reduce and recycle the use of water in a home.
- 1. Understand different types of tenancies.2. Understand how to prepare a property to let.3. Know how to market properties to let.4. Understand the requirements for selecting a tenant and setting up a tenancy.
- 1. Understand how to begin a tenancy.2. Understand the financial aspects of letting a property.3. Understand how to end a tenancy.
- 1. Understand the importance of codes of practice. 2. Understand ethics in the context of professional practice in housing.3. Understand equality, diversity and inclusion (ED&I) in the context of professional practice in housing.4. Be able to assess own professional performance and development.
- Understand the impact of food choices on sustainable living., Understand the impact of travel choices on the environment.
- 1. Understand the legislation relating to property maintenance and repair.2. Understand procedures for property maintenance.3. Understand the definition of a house in multiple occupation (HMO) and mandatory licencing of HMOs. 4. Understand alternative licensing scheme(s) and/or registration scheme(s).
- Understand the meaning of sustainable living., Understand how to gain and share information on sustainable living.
- 1. Understand the financial aspect of letting a property.2. Understand how agreements can change during the tenancy.3. Understand how tenancy issues are prevented and resolved.
- Understand what household waste is and its impact on the environment., Understand how household waste can be reduced and reused., Understand what recycling is and how it can reduce household waste.